Anew Web site, kauaifestivals.com, was launched last week by the County of Kaua’i in partnership with the Kaua’i Visitors Bureau. The Web site is being called a “one-stop shop” for information on Kaua’i festivals and events, presented in a user-friendly
Anew Web site, kauaifestivals.com, was launched last week by the County of Kaua’i in partnership with the Kaua’i Visitors Bureau. The Web site is being called a “one-stop shop” for information on Kaua’i festivals and events, presented in a user-friendly and locally branded format.
“In the past, visitors often came and went without knowing the wealth of cultural and event opportunities available to them during their stay,” said Nalani Brun of the Office of Economic Development. “Kauaifestivals. com shares how much there is to do here, and enables those visitors who are interested in local culture and events to plan these experiences into their trip and extend their trips to include festivals.”
According to a 2003 study conducted by the Kaua’i Visitors Bureau, nearly half of all visitors utilize the Internet when planning their trip to Kaua’i, and that over one-third use the Internet specifically to find recreational activities.
By pooling resources and taking a more strategic approach, county officials figure the site will project a more powerful image of festivals.
Visitors to Kaua’i can use the site to plan their trips to include the island’s local festivals, offering information on things to do on Kaua’i, dates for particular events via the site’s calendarbased system.
“Helping our festivals thrive is important not only to our visitor industry, but to our residents and the preservation of our culture and history,” said Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste.
Kauaifestivals.com is the fruit of a three-year initiative that is part of an overall marketing program that includes a rack brochure listing all festivals and events, a marketing kit to support new festivals, new festival
Funded primarily by the Hawai’i Tourism Authority’s CPEP program, the County teamed up with the Kaua’i Visitors Bureau and Tsunami Marketing, a Kaua’i-based advertising firm, to develop the marketing program and create the materials, including the new Web site.
The sites design is dynamic and user-friendly and visitors can choose how they prefer to browse festivals: by date; type of festival; or by simply meandering through the site.
Additional functions help visitors use this as a planning tool for their trip, including a My Festivals shopping cart where visitors can save, print out and email their list of favorite festivals to friends and customers. Area accommodations and visitor services are invited to link to kauaifestivals. com as a service to their guests. One of the site’s key features is the ability for festivals to create their own individual Web presence. Individual festivals have the ability to upload schedule or event changes in real time.
Kauaifestivals.com’s “back end” feature enables festival organizers to log in, enter their own information and photos from their home or office, essentially designing their own mini Web page.
The Office of Economic Development will be monitoring all information to ensure that it is high quality, correct and current. The Kaua’i Visitors Bureau will be linking their Web site to the kauaifestivals.com site.
“I’m so thrilled that this project has been brought to fruition through the funding and partnership of the County,” said Sue Kanoho, executive director of the Kaua’i Visitors Bureau. “I thank them for their continued support of our visitor industry.”
